US strikes Somali militants

Although the Pentagon did not provide details about the operation, Somali officials said on Tuesday that the US had launched an airstrike against al-Shabab's leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane, also known as Abu-Zubayr.

"The Americans carried out a major airstrike targeting a gathering by senior al-Shabab officials, including their leader Abu-Zubayr," said Abdukadir Mohamed Nur, the governor of Somalia's Lower Shabelle region, where the strike took place.

Meanwhile, an unnamed senior Somali intelligence official told the Associated Press that the airstrike was carried out by a US drone.

"We are assessing the results of the operation and will provide additional information as and when appropriate," Pentagon spokesman Rear Admiral John Kirby said on Monday.

Washington backs African Union forces, which intervened in Somalia to drive out al-Shabab and support a new federal government in Mogadishu. The federal government, Somalia's first central authority since the collapse of state institutions in 1991, has the backing of the United Nations.

Last September, al-Shabab militants launched an assault on Westgate Mall in Nairobi, Kenya, killing 67 people. Kenya has deployed troops to Somalia and played a leading role in efforts to defeat al-Shabab, which seeks to establish an Islamist state ruled by Shariah law.

slk/jr (AP, dpa)